Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-12-08
THE NORTHWEST
TIE CENTENNIAL HISTORY Of OHIO.
Lcoprs0hIsd. AnrigAi. r..rv.d.l
CHAPTER xn.-THE FORMING OF THE
STATE.
BYw.yAaaMDYE1CH.

CHAPTER xI.-THE FORMING OF THE
STATE.
On the 10th Of September, 1893, both
branches ofthe Legislature assembled
AZ Cincinnati, elected their officers and
informed the Governor that they were
Judge Burnet: "As this was the first
Legislature, It was necessarily q labor
ious one. The transition from q colonial
10 Q .semi-independent government
called for general revision and en-
largement Of the statute book. Some
OF the adopted laws were repealed;
many OF them were altered and amend
ed, and long list Of new acts were
added to the code.
''0ne of the important duties Of the
session was the election Of delegate to
represent the Territory in Congress-
AS soon as the Governors proclama-
ton made Its appearance the selection
of a person to I'll that place excited gen.
eral attention" Among other names
Judge Burnet's was proposed. But,
being at the time in an extensive prac-
tice and not wealthy, he could not
afford to quit his profession or abstract
from 1t as much time and attention as
the duties the station would require" I"
He refused to be candidate, and, be-
fore the meeting of the Legislature,
public opinion had settled down on
Arthur St. Clair, jr., and VIM. Henry
Harrison, who were the only candi-
dates for the Office. The latter won by
twelve votes against ten cast for st.
Clair. Harrison's greatest influence in
Congress was in favor of subdividing
the surveys of the public lands and to
have them offered for sale in small
tracts. This resolution passed. and at
the same time another resolution
passed for establishing the Territory of
Indiana, of which Mr.. Harrison was
appointed Governor. BY this division
Mr.. Vanderburgh, the Representative
from Vincennes In the Legislature of
the Northwest Territory, became a
citizen of Indiana and his seat in the
Legislative Council was declared va
cant.
sDuring the same session, 1899, a
memorial was presented by officers of
the Virginia line praying for liberation
TO
REMOVE WITH THEIR SLAVES
On to their military bounty lands be.
tween the Scioto and Little Miami
rivers. The prayer of the petition be-
ing unequivocally prohibited by the
Ordinance, the Legislature had no dis
cretion in the case. Their only course
was to reject the petition. The
public feeling on the subject of admit
ting slavery into the Territory was such
that the request would have been de-
II kxyu ,t,rnn IN rSf Tho T anpSp
lature and possessed the power of
granting It,"
After the close of the first session of
the Territorial Legislature, Congress
passed law removing the seat of gov
ernment from Cincinnati to Chillicothe.
That step was regarded as an entire
usurpation of authority under the Ordi-
nance of1787; besides, the Legislature
had adjourned to meet at Cincinnati on
the first Monday in November, 18O0.-
Nevertheless the two houses assembled
at ChillicOthe in obedience to the law of
Congress. This removal was occa-
stoned by the delegates from Chilli
cothe, who were enemies of Gov. st.
Clair. Early in the session a bill was
passed directing that the sessions
of the Assembly be held at Marietta,
Cincinnati and Chillicote in rotation.
1t passed the Council or Senate of that
day, but in the House it failed.
GOV. ST. CLAIR's STRATEGY.
On the End OF. December the Governor
informed the Assembly by written
message, "That on Thursday, the
9th of the month, an end must be put
to the session of the Legislature, as on
t1ot do hio tnrFr nf nff1an yryAt,lA NV
pire and 1t was not q case provided for
ernor could be supplied by the Secre-
taryn On that subject there was diver
sity of opinion. However, soon after
Gov. st. Clair had prorogued the Leg
islature he was reappointed by Presi-
dent Adams. That was the aim he had
in view, evidently, when he prorogued
the Assembly. About the same time
Solomon Sibley, one of the members of
the lower House from Detroit, was
nominated and appointed to fill the
seat in the Council vacated by Mr.. Van
derburgh Of Vincennea.
On November "a, 1901, the General
Assembly met at Chillicothe in con-
formity with the proclamation of the
Governor and on their third term, or,
more correctly, the first session of the
second term. Among the most impor-
tant measures enacted this session
were: To exempt the Quakers OF
Friends from bearing arms on the pay
ment of small sum of money; to
"provide for the inspection OF certain
articles" of export; authorizing the
"Orphan's COURT to take cognizance of
contracts and chancery records; regula-
ting the partition of real estate; provid-
ing for the distribution of insolvent
estates; separate acts incorporating the
towns of Cincinnati, Chillicothe and
Detroit; a bill to establish an university
in the town of Athens on the land
granted by Congress for that purpose
to Sargent, Cutler q Co., otherwise
known as 1.-THE Ohio Company Dur.
ing the same session two petitions were
presented praying that an act might be
passed declaratory Of the true intent
and meaning of that part of the ordi
nance of 1857 which related to slavery
and involuntary servitude. The object
of the petition was to introduce
A SPECIES OF LIMITED SLAVERY
BY the means of contracts or linden
lures. The petitions, were, however
laid on the table with the understand
ing that they were not to be agail
taken up. They, however, led the con
vention appointed to draft the Stat
Constitution to adopt the provision
fOund in the section OF article eight o